The Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (CAAV) has appointed a new president, with Malcolm Gale taking over the position from Simon Alden.
Gale was chosen as president at the CAAV annual general meeting (AGM) in Oxford, as he had served as Aldens senior vice-president up to this point.
“We have a strong membership within the CAAV, but it is sometimes a difficult profession to sell, as our areas of practice are so diverse,” Gale said.
“They think they know what a solicitor does and an accountant but not what an agricultural valuer does. It’s trying to get that across to young people in order that the profession is on their radar.”
Gale started his career at Bagshaws in 1982 as a clerk in the markets and then graduated from the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester in 1988, qualifying as a chartered surveyor and agricultural valuer in 1991.
He is a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and a registered valuer, a fellow of the CAAV, and a fellow of the Livestock Auctioneers’ Association.
He became a partner of Bagshaws in 2005 and is also a past president of the Staffordshire Agricultural Valuers’ Association.
In his new role, Gale will be joined in his presidential team by Martin Hall, senior director at Davidson and Robertson, based in Edinburgh, as senior vice-president and Cumbria-based Julie Liddle of PFK as junior vice-president.
His aim to get the profession on the radar of young people will be helped through the five apprentice surveyors that Bagshaws currently has undergoing university training for their degree, a route that Gale said “wasn’t available five or six years ago”.
Gale met CAAV local association members in the lead up to his presidency, and said that all the associations are different, while being similar in nature.
“Common is the fellowship. There is genuine friendship. Even though the various parties work in different firms, if we have a query, we know we can pick up the phone to any member if needed and they will be open and straight with us,” he said.
Gale has experience in many aspects of rural practice, including valuations, sales, compensation claims, option/promotion agreements and auctioneering.
Roger Bedson, partner at Hinson Parry said that Gale “works for the wider benefit of the profession and is approachable, well known and well liked”.
